Game-board.



W. H. WRIGHT & E. A. POWELL.

\ GAME BOARD. APPLICATION FILED JULYIB, 1908.

975,009. Patented Nov. 8.1910.

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WILLIAM H. WEIGHT AND ERNEST A. POWELL, F FINDLAY, OHIO.

GAME-BOARD.

' ments in Game-Boards; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in game boards, and more particularly to boards for that class of games in which the scoring is determined by the displacement of aseries of object balls from given bases, such displacement being effected by means of cue balls directed thereagainst by cues or similar devices.

The invention has for its object the provision of a game apparatus of the above specified type in which the displacement of the object balls, and, in consequence, the scoring is rendered more difficult by cushioning the side walls of the board, thus rendering it possible to limit the playing of the game to carom shots, so as to permit the players to acquire a knowledge of the angles of the table, so to speak, and to familiarize themselves with the various twists necessarily imparted to the cue balls in order to strike the several object balls in accordance with the rules of the game.

As a secondary object, the invention aims to provide a game board in which the sev eral divisions are designated by the names of the most important national industries, in connection with which the great problems of finance arise, and in which the bases for object balls are designated by numerals indicating approximately the increases in the amounts gained or lost as the center of the system is reached.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 thereof, corresponding parts being indicated by the same reference characters through the several views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the main field of the board has indicated thereon two concentric circles 1 and 2, the annular area inclosed between said circles being divided into eight equal parts by Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 16, 1908.

Patented Nov. 8, 1910.

Serial No. 443,821.

radial division lines 3. The divisions through which the diameters of the board pass are indicated by the numeral 4 and are given any suitable color, while the remaining divisions (2'. 6.) those through which the diagonals of the board pass, are designated by the numeral 5, and are given a different color.

The outer circle 1 which forms the outer edge of the major divisions 4 serves as the base line for the cue balls. Each of these divisions has marked thereon the name of one of the four great industries of the financial world, 2'. 6., banking, mining, manufacturing and railroading, each name having an individual color.

Within the inner circle 2 is inscribed an eight pointed star 6, the terminals of whose points are so arranged as to coincide with the points at which the division lines 3 intersect the inner circle. It will thus be seen that the star is so disposed with reference to the major divisions that the terminals of the inner edges of the latter coincide with the terminals of the adjacent pair of points of the star, one terminal of each pair being designated 1 and the other 2 The points where the mutually-adjacent sides of the star points intersect each other are successively numbered, in like, manner, 1 and 2 lVithin the area occupied by the star, is marked a pair of concentric circles 7 and 8, the former of which is divided into eight equal parts by division points which lie in the imaginary lines connecting the several points 1 and 2 with the center of the circle 8, the last mentioned pair of circles being also concentric with the major circles 1 and 2. The division points upon the circle 7 are alternately designated 5 and 5 and the area inclosed by the circle 8 by the numeral 10.

As above stated, the names of the four industries appear in individual colors in the major divisions 4. These same colors are applied to the points 1 and 2 1 and 2 and 5 and 5 Each industry is thus represented by or appears in conjunction with siX spots or points of a corresponding color. Upon each of these spots may be located a ball colored correspondingly, and upon the central spot 10 is placed a larger ball having the same color as that of the star, the remaining portion of the area inclosed by the major circle 2 being colored difierently from any of the aforementioned features on the board. In Fig. 1 the balls are shown in dotted lines.

The board which is preferably 30 inches square is provided at its edges with resilient cushions 12 of rubber, or other suitable material, the rules of the game requiring that all shots, in order to count, must be made off of the cushions. These cushions may have any preferred height relative to the diameter of the cue balls 13, which latter are four in number, there being thus one one ball for each major division or interest. The one balls are directed against the cushions by ,to according to their positioned spots. Thus,

where a player strikes the balls of the proper color positioned upon the spots marked, for instance, 1 2 and 5 he adds a total of 4 to his score, while if the central ball be displaced he adds an additional 10. On the other hand, should the ball of any player displace those of other interests than his own, he counts the gain or loss but loses his remaining shot or shots, if any, in that particular round.

In playing the game, the players shoot in succession, each player having three shots in each round, unless debarred as above stated, by striking the balls of an interest other than his own, in which instance, he loses the remaining shot or shots, if any,'for that round. Ten rounds usually constitute a game.

It will thus be seen that since carom shots only count, a certain amount of skill and a certain amount of knowledge of the angles of the table are necessary in order to successfully play the game, the proficiency of the players increasing with practice.

' lVhat is claimed. is

A game apparatus comprising a game board having an uninterrupted playing surface and its field marked with a plurality of concentric circles, the outermost circle serv ing as a base line for one balls and being divided into a number of equal parts forming the bases for said cue ball, the several inner circles being correspondingly divided, the division points forming bases for object 'balls, the field of said board being further marked between the innermost concentric circles with a star whose points coincide,

with the division points of one of said innermost circles, the point of meeting of the sides of adjacent points of the star also con stituting spots for object balls.

In testimony whereof, we afliX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. WRIGHT. ERNEST A POWELL. Vitnesses M. D. Forms, J. L. BIBLER. 

